Maybe he was just trying to take some heat off his captain. More likely, this kind of thing happens more often than we think, but we’re paying attention now.
Either way, Jorge Posada took first base last night after not being hit by a pitch.
Of course, the sum of Posada’s histrionics involved taking off his shin guard and offering a slight grimace, not hopping around and wincing to the point that medical intervention was necessary. (Watch it here.)
It was an 0-2 pitch from Tampa Bay’s James Shields that skipped on the ground in front of Posada’s feet. He hopped back, never indicating that the pitch did anything but hit him. The relative lack of outcry compared to the recent Derek Jeter incident could have also had to do with the fact that there were already two outs, Posada never scored, and the Yankees won handily anyway, 8-3.
Still, it’s a reminder to all those who bandied about the phrase “Derek Cheater” this week that this is something heady ballplayers do.
– Jason
The Baseball Codes 
Looks like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon now. How could the ump miss this though? This seemed pretty obvious that it didn’t hit Posada. Maybe the catcher got in his line of sight, not sure.
It’s tough to know what umpires can and can’t see from that vantage. They have to be able to see the strike zone, of course, so I’m guessing this particular line of sight wasn’t impeded. Posada’s act was enough to get it done.
Let me also add that this isn’t much of a bandwagon. Ballplayers have been doing it for a long, long time …
Looks like the breaker hit between his feet, then bounced back away from him, as should be expected of a curve. Based on where it hit the ground, it’s perhaps understandable the ump would think it got him.
wowsure he had a lousy ALDS in ’08but the team got in there withoutmuch pechcingretint decisions to put chamberlain and phillips in the starting rotation could put them over the top againARod will play for the Yanks againwho else is there to pay him for even close to what is worth?a fan since I saw Yogi play (on TV) left field and make two circus catches two doubles one homer in one game .year was about 1957 .it was his off day from catching